This Day in History: 0000-09-04

September 4 – Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Let’s take the opportunity to do a little vision casting this morning. Sometimes we need to just stop and re-focus. To remember what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.

Here it is: God’s grace has been revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ. He died in our place making salvation possible for everyone. Every single person from creation to the end of time (apart from Jesus Christ) has been, is, and will be a sinner. We all need to be saved, and God’s grace made it possible! That’s all the marbles folks! Salvation has been made available. Nothing else really matters. Nothing!

Since that’s true, since we’ve been saved through the grace of God, it is our privilege and duty to turn from the pathetic existence in which He found us and live our lives for Him. The godless living and sinful pleasures of this world offer nothing of any real value! They are empty. Meaningless. We have to align our thoughts with that truth. We have to let it permeate us so those things become wholly undesirable to us. Why would we want any part in things that will only ruin us? Why would we want to live a life controlled by lies? Shouldn’t we rather align ourselves with truth?

So let’s ask God to fill us with wisdom, righteousness and faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, who He gifted to us when we believed. Let’s be devoted to Him, seeking Him daily through the reading of His Word and prayer. Let’s maintain a spirit of worship at all times so we’ll remain focused on the things that are eternal, rather than the things of this world that will soon pass away. May that spirit create in us a longing for the day when Christ returns and His eternal glory is revealed.

Friends, may we live each and every day as the children of the High King of Heaven. He gave His life to set us free from all the nonsense in this world. May we live in that freedom, cleansed from the stains of our sinful pasts and secure in our new and righteous identity – totally committed to doing the good things He’s created us to do. May our lives shine for His glory!